Free-Will Vs Determinism

As humans we like to believe that we have some control over what it is we do with our life, and the determinist theory appears to disallow that. Thus raises the question of whether free will and determinism can coexist, or if they are mutually exclusive. This is the “free will problem”, and it is a philosophical debate that seems to simply continue through time. There are several ways in which we can attempt to limit or defuse the tension between free will and determinism, from redefining what we mean when we say “free will” to the inevitable question of how moral responsibility can be assigned if the world we live in is purely determinist. My aim in this paper is thus to present some of the ideas surrounding this “problem of free will”, and …show more content…
The difference between me staying home to watch Buffy reruns, and me staying home due to the man with the gun, is that the first is freely done. No one forced me to stay home. There was no man with a gun threatening to shoot me should I attempt to leave. My decision to stay home was made simply because I had no wish to attend the dinner. It was psychological, personal, and not influenced by any external influences (such as the man with the gun). I did not go, simply because I did not wish to …show more content…
In other words, if a person’s actions are predetermined by a series of events that are incomprehensible to them, and are unalterable, it is assumed that his actions are not free (Stace, 1952). Under this, in the scenario above regarding my not attending the dinner with my friends, my choice to stay at home at watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer would not be a decision at all. The act of me staying at home would be a direct result of previous events, and is unalterable regardless of anything I “chose” to do. Thus it is difficult to imagine a scenario wherein both free will and determinism are possible, as it appears that determinism directly opposes the concept of free

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Determinism: Free will and Determinism Vs Free Essay

Determinism Vs. Free Will